Shoe-maker s measure



(ModL A. J. DELANDER.

SHOE MAKER/S MEASURE.

No. 373,886. Patented Nov. 29, 1887..

N. PETERS, Photo-Ulhographan Washington, 0.6.

UNITED STATES ATENT' FFIQE.

AUGUST JULIUS DELANDER, OF SHEFFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA.

SHOE-MAKERS MEASURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373,886, dated November 29, 1887.

Application filed August 3, 1887. Serial No. 246,046. (Modcl.)

, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Measuring the Feet for Boots or Shoes, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means whereby the necessarymeasurements are taken preliminary to the making ofa pair of boots or shoes. It is of the first importance, in order to produce a perfect fit, thatthe measurements of the foot should be accurately taken, since measurements that are mere approximations to accuracy are hardly more than guess-work, and can rarely, if ever, be relied upon in the production of satisfactory work. Moreover, it is obviously a matter of importance that the workman should be enabled to take these measurements with facility, as well as with accuracy.

The object therefore of my invention is to devise means for doing the work mentioned, which will enable even an inexperienced attendant to accurately determine proper measurements; andin order to enable those who may be interested indevices to which my invention relates to understand and make use of myimprovements, I have described them hereinafter and illustrated the same in the accompanying drawings.

The peculiarities of the invention for which protection by Letters Patent is desired are pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the annexed drawings, forming part of this description, and in which like letters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a measuring device embodying my invention applied to a human foot. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of said device. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section through the line x x of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a cross-section of one of the slides,taken through the line 2 z of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings,'the letter A indicates a heel'plate, which is preferably made of thin but stiff steel, and of a shape adapted to receive the heelof the human foot, as shown in Fig. 1.

B indicates arigid steel bar,which is riveted I to the heelplate A, as shown, and which is of length sufficient to furnish a support for the thin steel tongue 0, upon which latter are impressedthefiguresindicatingthelast-numbers. (See Fig. 2.) The flexible tongue 0 is longer than its supporting-bar B, and is riveted to the interior of the heel-plate A, as shown at a, and it is made thin, in order that it may fit closely to or conform to the contour of the desirable.

D designates a string or tape, which is fastened through a hole in the bottom of the heelplate A, its free end passing through another hole on the opposite side of said heel-plate and secured around the hook b,affixed to the side of the heel-plate. The string D by being passed over the instep of the foot, when the latter is placed in position on the measure and drawn sufficiently tight, and then secured to the hook b, as shown in Fig. 1, serves to hold the measure in place during the operation of taking measurements.

Theletter Eindicates a slide-three of which being employed-which is adapted to be moved either toward or away from the heel-plate. The construction of slide E is shown parti-' cularly in Fig. 4, and it comprises a plate, 0, preferably of brass, having a longitudinal opening through it and provided upon one of its sides with a V-shaped notch, (Z, and on its other side with a lug, e, and also a steel spring, f, which is riveted to the bottom of lug e, and is provided with a pin, 9, operating in the V-shaped notch d, as shown. One side of the steel tongue 0 is provided with V-shaped notches corresponding in shape to the notch in the slide E, so that when the slide is placed upon' the tongue 0 it is locked at any of the indicating-characters marked on the upper surface of said slide, by the pin 9 on the steel piece f springing into the coincident notches of the tongue and slide. By depressing the steel piecef the pin gis forced below the coincident notches in slide and tongue, and by holding the pin in that position the slide may be adjusted upon. the tongue in either direction. The slide E nearest the heel-plate is provided with a tape-measure, (which passes through a loop formed on the slide,) the object of which is to take the measurement of bottom of the foot, if that should be found the foot around the instep, in doing which the slide is locked, in the mannerabove described, at the appropriate point on the tongue. The intermediate slideEisin like manner provided with a tape-measure,for the purpose oftaking the measurement at the ball of the foot, the slide being locked at the requisite point on the tongue as apreliminary operation. The third slide E, which is provided with an upright piece, F, is for the purpose of obtaining the length of the foot. It is constructed similarly to the other two slides, and is automatically locked to the tongue 0 in the manner explained. The tongue G, in addition to being provided upon its upper surface with numbers indicating the sizes of the lasts upon which boots or shoes are made, is also provided with letters, arranged as shown, and which are utilized in taking the measurements, and are designed to be entered in the book containing the record of measurements.

The advantages of this device over the devices now employed for like purpose are obvious. XVhen the heel of the foot is placed within the heel-plate and the cord D adjusted around the instep, which requires but a moment, there is no liability of the foot slipping forward before the slide in front of the foot has been properly adjusted and locked onto thetongueO. The cord D is not indispensable, but will be found quite serviceable. The extreme flexibility of the tongue 0 renders it quite as reliable as a tape,though more readily manipulated, in determining the length of the sole of the foot. Accuracy in results is insured by reason of being able to lock or fix the slides to the tongue, as errors in measurement not infrequently occur by the parts of the instrument slipping upon themselves before the figures are recorded, and the convenience of separate tapes for measuring the front and back parts of the foot, attached to the device, will be readily appreciated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device for measuring the feet for boots or shoes provided with a heel-plate and a rigid bar, B, combined with a thin flexible tongue provided with indicating-characters, substantially as set forth.

2, In a foot-measure, a tongue containing indicating-characters, and having one of its edges provided with notches, as shown, combined with a slide having a notch in one of its edges and a spring provided with a pin cooperating with the notches in the tongue and slide, substantially as set forth.

3. The slide E, comprising a plate having a longitudinal opening therein, a notch upon one of its edges and a lug upon the opposite edge, and a spring, asf, riveted to said lug and provided with a pin arranged to enter the slot in the edge of said plate, substantially as set forth.

4. In a foot-measure, a tongue provided with figures indicating the last-numbers and with letters whereby fractional parts of the whole numbers can be recorded, substantially as set forth.

5. A foot-measure comprising a heel-plate, rigid bar B, a flexible tongue provided with indicating-characters and notches upon its edge, and a series of slides adjustable upon said tongue and constructed to be locked at appropriate points thereupon, two of which slides are provided with measuring-tapes, substantially as set forth.

Signed at Warren, in the county of \Varrcn and State of Pennsylvania, this 24th day of May, A. D. 1887.

AUGUST JULIns DELANDER.

Witnesses:

XV. H. ALLEN, JosErH A. SCHOFIELD. 

